The Government response to Covid was disastrous – closing down schools & businesses, mandating masks and drugs, stealing freedoms & blindly trusting so-called experts (e.g. Fauci).
The Central Focus Of Christian Theology
The Book of Romans
In the winter of 57 A.D., Paul traveled to the city of Corinth, where he concluded his third missionary journey. While in Corinth, the apostle penned another letter, this one to be circulated amongst the churches in Rome. Who planted those churches is unknown. This letter is now known as the biblical book of Romans.
Paul had preached for over two decades now – whereby God continually strengthened and clarified His message through the apostle. He is now using Paul to help unify the Roman churches, some Jewish, others consisting of Gentiles. In the book of Romans, he brings a far greater depth of understanding of Jehovah’s plan, through an extremely detailed exposition of the Gospel.
Indeed, the book of Romans could be called the ‘Central Focus of Christian theology’. Paul begins by referring to the Gospel, and Jesus’ place in it:
God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Rm. 1:2 – 6. NLT
The apostle is saying that Christ’s human lineage was from that of the line of King David; and that He fulfilled all the prophecies that the Holy Spirit-inspired prophets wrote – all pointing to the fact that He is the Messiah.
Also, Paul reminds us, that at the moment God resurrected Jesus through the Holy Spirit, His Son came into His kingship. Finally, we see that we, like the apostles, have been granted the grace of God, through Christ, to be like apostles ourselves – equipped to spread the Gospel over the entire planet.
The way to empower our outreach for achieving a unified body of Christ, is to persist in our awareness of the purpose and power of the Gospel and being obedient to it, so that we can stay on the right side of God’s judgment:
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (See Hab. 2:4); Rm. 1:16, 17. NLT
Our obedience to the Gospel allows us to take on the righteousness of Christ as our own – opening the doors to salvation. ‘…the Jew first’… refers to the salvation promise that God first made to His original children, who were then supposed to spread the Good News to all peoples (Gentiles). Alas, most of the Jews rejected Christ.
Lastly, we see that salvation requires faith in Jesus.
From the beginning, God has laid out His will for all to see. Those who are unwilling to receive the Good News are without excuse:
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God. Rm. 1:18 – 20. NLT
Thus, Jehovah has left identifiable and irrefutable aspects of Himself within everything that He has created. He has placed a ‘knowing’ of this truth in the hearts of everyone – whereby He calls each of us to Himself, through His Son.
Unfortunately, there will be many throughout the ages that will remain stiff-necked, with hearts of stone, who refuse to answer that call:
Yes, they knew God, but wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Rm. 1:21 – 23. NLT
And idolatry always results in severe consequences:
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Rm. 1:24 NLT
They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshipped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself…That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Rm. 1:25 – 27. NLT
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Rm. 1:28 – 32. NLT
People are still like this today – addicted to their sin and worshiping others who do the same, sowing the seeds of their own destruction. Also, just in case people say to you that the Bible does not address homosexuality as a sin, you have just read where it does.
We must not join in with those who are hellbent, because their outcome is not a good one:
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Rm. 2:1, 2. NLT
…because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done.
He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory, honor, and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble for everyone doing what is evil – for the Jew first and also for the Gentile…For God does not show favoritism. Rm. 2:5 – 9 & 11. NLT
We don’t want to rub shoulders with willful sinners. Everything that you do has consequences…
Paul continues, first addressing the Jews specifically, telling them that they must obey the Mosaic Law to prep themselves for salvation. And because God does not discriminate, He also placed the knowledge of right and wrong in the hearts of the Gentiles. They too must answer for what they do with that knowledge (see Dt. 30:14):
Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim – that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. Rm. 2:14 – 16. NLT
LISTEN UP! Paul is about to reveal the core message of the New Covenant. The ultimate consideration regarding salvation, is about what one must have to be reconciled with God. It is not the Law. (Here is where the apostle begins to try to unify the Jews and the Gentiles):
For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Rm. 3:20 NLT
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.
This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in the past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Rm. 3:21 – 6. NLT
So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. Rm. 3:28 NLT
The Mosaic Law demonstrated what perfect holiness would look like. In so doing, it also showed the impossibility of perfectly meeting those demands, due to the fallibility of our humanity. Thus, it pointed the way to our need for a righteous Messiah to remove that burden – one in whom rested the cleanser for our sins. And that cleansing, which facilitates our unification, is given to everyone who places their faith in the blood of Jesus…
If we look again at the last Scripture, it would seem to infer that it diminishes the validity of the Mosaic Law. But is that really the case?
Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. Rm. 3:31 NLT
The Law is valid, yet it is impossible to be in perfect obedience to every letter of it, at all times. That impossibility is what points to our need for Christ, which allows us to be perfect vicariously through His righteousness. Realize too, that Jesus only bestows that righteousness upon those who have faith in who He is and in what He’s done.
To be continued…
Goodnight and God bless.
What is the Meaning of Christmas?
Christmas is all about the eternal possibilities that God offers us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The church decided to celebrate this magnificent miracle on December 25th. It is not an accurate date of Christ’s birth, but it serves the purpose nonetheless, by establishing a particular day where we remember the Father and the Son’s magnanimity in their love towards their highest creation – humankind.
Jesus is the living word of God, the visible representation of the invisible Jehovah God. Christmas celebrates Their combined efforts to save humanity. How so?
I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security). The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep. Jn. 10:9 – 11. AMP
Notice the first line of that Scripture. ‘Anyone who enters in through Me will be saved.’ Christ was sent to earth to save everyone – that includes you. Let’s look at how God’s plan plays out…
Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness] …” Gn. 1:26 AMP
This may not jive with your picture of Christmas, but this Scripture is vital to understanding it. It is telling us that Jesus was with God when humankind was created. Let’s corroborate that with another word of God:
He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. Jn. 1:2, 3. NLT
We see then that Christ was both present with God, at the very beginning of the creation of the universe, and for the formation of all that inhabits it. Jehovah designed the same and created it all through His Son. How is Jesus able to do that? God tells us through the Holy Spirit:
He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. Col. 1:15 AMP
Jesus told us that God was a Spirit being. (Jn. 4:24). Thus, prior to Christ’s physical incarnation on earth, He too must have been a Spirit being, because the Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God. (1 Co. 15:50).
Thus, Christ is as old, at least as far as time is concerned, as the universe itself. However, His resurrected self, like His Father, lives outside of time.
Since, humankind was present, God has sent us His salvation plan in several prophecies concerning His Son:
In what is possibly the oldest biblical book, Job, we are told that the ‘Redeemer’ lives and will come to the earth (Job 19:25). Moses, in a similar time frame, (1400 years before Jesus arrived), told us that He would battle the devil until the end of time, that He would be Jewish in His incarnate form, and that He would speak for God (Dt. 18:18).
Four hundred years later, Jehovah would send a message, by way of the prophet Samuel, to King David – telling him that his descendant (the Messiah) would establish an eternal heavenly kingdom (2 Sm. 7:12 – 14).
King David also received a heavenly vision of Christ’s future crucifixion. (Ps. 22:16 – 18).
Leaping forward to 740 B.C., the prophet Isaiah revealed that Jesus would be born of a virgin, and that He would play the most important role in the Kingdom of Heaven:
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Is. 9:6, 7. NLT
Jesus plays a big role in your salvation, of which, God brought about. Here’s how big:
…for through him (Jesus) God created everything in the heavenly realms and on the earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Col. 1:16 – 20. NLT
And like we saw earlier, God brings His salvation, through Christ, to all peoples:
And now the LORD speaks – the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Is. 49:5 – 6. NLT
The prophet Isaiah also prophesied about how poorly most of the people treated Jesus when he arrived; yet He gave up His life for all peoples. Through His death and resurrection, He provided the way to live in eternity with Jehovah and Him. (Is. 53:4 – 7.)
Most of us are very familiar with the Christmas story: God sent His only Son to bring the Gospel. Jesus, being the faithful and obedient Son, allowed His all-powerful Spirit to be housed in a frail human body, so that we could commiserate with Jehovah’s exact image.
We also know of the angel Gabriel, Joseph and Mary, the virgin birth, and the angels’ proclamation of its importance:
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).” Lk. 2:10, 11. AMP
This miracle Savior grew into His manhood – working miracles, revealing the truth of God, admonishing those who twisted it, and despite the resistance He faced from unbelievers, kept His invitation for salvation open:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] an My burden is light.” Mt. 11:28 – 30. AMP
Finally, Christ makes it clear that there is no other way to salvation:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jn. 14:6 CSB.
John Lennon wrote a song entitled So This is Christmas, (also called Happy Christmas.) The first line says: ‘So this is Christmas, and what have you done?’ This alludes to one’s proper behavior in demonstrating their adherence to behaviors that demonstrate God’s goodness and influence in that same person’s life.
Far and away, it’s all about what God and Jesus have done to free us from the sting of death.
However, for all what we have talked about, the gift of Christmas, is only available to those who do accept Christ. And I hope, that is what you have done…
Merry Christmas!
Goodnight and God bless.
The Most Important Event in History
During the time of the reign of King Herod, who ruled over Judea in approximately 7 B.C., there lived a priest by the name of Zacharias, married to Elizabeth, who happened to be a cousin of Mary, the imminent mother of Jesus.
The couple were aged and childless, yet they never gave up hope that someday God would grant them a child. In answer to their prayers, an angel, Gabriel, visited Zacharias and told him that he and his wife would bring forth a son, whom he was to name ‘John’ (meaning ‘God has shown favor’).
Gabriel also said that John would be special:
“…for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Lk. 1:15 – 17. NLT
There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light. Jn. 1:6 AMP
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name… Ps. 111:9 AMP
Initially, Zacharias doubted Gabriel’s proclamation; so, the angel rendered him mute, saying that he would not be able to speak again until the birth took place.
When Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, God sent Gabriel to Nazareth, to reveal His will to Mary – a woman engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel speaks:
“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Lk. 1:28 NKJV
Mary was divinely chosen to be the mother of the Savior of the Earth. What it does not mean, is that she should be worshiped in any way. That would violate the 1st and the 2nd of the Ten Commandments.
She was beside herself; but Gabriel assuaged her fears; and then he makes a phenomenal earth-shaking declaration:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” Lk. 1:30 – 33. CSB
The name ‘Jesus’ finds its roots in the Hebrew word Yhowshuwa, translated as Jehoshua or Joshua, and from the Greek word Iesous, meaning ‘The Lord is Salvation.’ So, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, Who will reign over God’s children forever.
Mary protests, thinking impregnation without a man was impossible in her virgin state. Gabriel reveals the big picture:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God. Lk. 1:35 AMP
This is a one-time-only, most important event in all history: a Holy Spirit-facilitated conception, whereby the Spirit of the Son of God is divinely implanted in virgin flesh. As it avoids a male human intervention, it frees Jesus from the taint of Adamic sin.
(Islam refutes this scripture, as it interprets this event to mean that Jehovah God was involved in some carnal act. Yet, it was nothing of the kind; it was a transformation):
Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death – that is, the devil- Heb. 2:14 AMP
Gabriel further tells Mary that God has worked a miracle for her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, so that they are now with child. How? The angel reminds us:
“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Lk. 1:37 NKJV
After Mary’s encounter with Gabriel, she high tails it over to Elizabeth’s house. As soon as she enters, the unborn John the Baptist leaps in her mother’s womb. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, Who reveals to her Mary’s miraculous transformation, and she exclaims:
“God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Lk. 1:42, 43. NLT
The answer is that Elizabeth was rewarded for her faith:
…no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Co. 12:3 NLT
Mary stayed with Elizabeth until John was born. When John was 8 days old, Zacharias’ voice returned as his faith was fully restored. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and bursts forth with prophecy concerning first the birth of Christ and secondly about his son:
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.” Lk. 1:68 – 70. NLT
(For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for His glory. 2 Co. 1:20 NLT)
(Note: If you read Mt. 1:1 – 17, you can trace Jesus’ earthly genealogy from Abraham to Joseph, Mary’s husband. Reading Lk. 3:23 – 28, you can follow His genealogy all the way from Adam to Mary.)
Zacharias continues:
“And you my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide us to the path of peace.” Lk. 1:76 -79. NLT
At the time of John the Baptist’s birth, Mary is 3 months’ pregnant. Her fiancé Joseph knows that obviously the child is not his. He begins to consider calling off the marriage, but an angel intervenes in a dream:
“Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirt. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” Mt. 1:20, 21. AMP
Joseph married Mary but did not have conjugal relations with her until after Jesus’ birth (Mt. 1:25).
Caesar Augustus was the emperor of Rome at this time, and proclaimed a census be taken, so that everyone under his rule would be registered for the purpose of taxation. Judea was also ruled by Caesar.
Everyone had to register in the city where their ancestral records were kept. For Joseph and Mary, that meant a trip to Bethlehem. There was no lodging available when they arrived, so they had to stay in a manger (translated from the Greek word phatne, meaning ‘stall’). And that’s where our Lord was born.
Simultaneously, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds who were tending their sheep at night in a nearby field, declaring:
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).” Lk. 2:10, 11. AMP
Immediately following, the angel was joined by a multitude of other angels who burst forth with praise:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, peace on earth to those whom God is pleased.” Lk. 2:14 NLT
(“…it is from Him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty of sin]… 1 Co. 1:30 AMP)
The angels left, and the shepherds went to see the Savior. Word of the Messiah spread far and wide.
On the 8th day, baby Jesus was circumcised and formally named. When 40 days passed, Jesus was dedicated to God in the Temple. Present in that dedication, was a man, Simeon, whom Jehovah had directed there; to fulfill a promise He made to him – that he would get to see the Messiah before he died.
Simeon picks up our Lord, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, he declares:
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised, I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Lk. 2:29 – 32. NLT
Christ the Savior, for the entire world:
(So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together with him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Eph. 2:19 – 21. NLT)
Simeon fixes his gaze upon Mary, and he prophesies:
“Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is to be opposed – and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul – so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” Lk. 2:34, 35. AMP
So, Christ will be the eternal Savior of those who follow Him; but He will be the harbinger of death to those who stand in opposition. And Mary’s heart will be pierced at the crucifixion of her Son, as the full impact of who He is and what He’s done is acutely revealed and felt…
News of the Messiah’s birth reached the ‘East’ (a biblical term used for Arab lands). And so it was that wise men (philosophers or astrologers) journeyed to find Him. (The Bible never says there were 3 of them. Perhaps it was deduced by number of gifts they brought for Jesus). They enquired people along the way:
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Mt. 2:2 AMP
King Herod gets wind of this and worries that his rule will someday be usurped by this ‘infant king.’ He calls for his priests to find out where this birth took place, and they tell Him the Scriptures indicate ‘Bethlehem.’
He hears of the ‘wise men,’ and has them brought before him, telling them to return to him after visiting the Messiah, so that he too could worship Him. (In reality, he wanted to kill Him).
The wise men were led by a star to Jesus’ whereabouts, where they worshipped Him and presented their gifts. Afterwards, they left. During their return journey, God sent them a vision in a dream, warning them against returning to Herod. So, they took another route home.
Simultaneously, an angel came to Joseph in a dream, presenting Him with an urgent task:
“Get up! Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” Mt. 2:13 CSB
Joseph did as he was instructed. Shortly thereafter, King Herod realized the wise men duped him. He retaliated by slaughtering every male child in Bethlehem aged 2 years and younger. (‘Massacre of the Innocents’).
Herod died, and the angel returned to tell Joseph it was safe to go home.
When they returned, Herod’s eldest son was ruling the region of Bethlehem with an iron fist. So, Joseph resettled his family in the region of Galilee, in the city of Nazareth. And the Bible tells us:
And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. Lk. 2:40 AMP
The magnitude of this most important event in history cannot be overstated…
Goodnight and God bless.